History Recap / TheWestWingS01E07TheStateDinner

** Mandy acts like this when she realize the standoff in Idaho has resulted in the shooting of the negotiator she insisted they send.

-->'''C.J.:''' It's wine, you'll drink it!

** Sam is upset when Laurie turns up as the escort of one of the administration's key donors and the resulting tension between them causes a fight between them;

* JerkassHasAPoint: The Indonesian official doesn't seem like a particularly nice man and takes great pleasure in jerking Toby, Josh, Donna and the multiple translators they find to facilitate their conversation around. But he has pretty valid points in that it's both pretty arrogant for both the United States to lecture other countries about human rights abuses when it's own hands are hardly clean on that score, and that it's pretty arrogant for Toby on a personal level to turn around and expect an Indonesian official to do him a favour after writing a very confrontational speech insulting Indonesia and it's president at a state dinner that was supposed to be in their honour.

'''Toby:'''... Please understand, that with so many people watching, with so much media coverage it was important for us to make clear that the United States, with it's commitment to human rights, has an obligation --\\

This episode is also notable for being the first appearance of the First Lady, Dr. Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing), as well as the first episode where Danny tries to flirt with C.J.

** President Bartlet, used to being the most powerful man in any room and the Leader of the Free World, finds himself powerless to do anything regarding a massive hurricane and a man being shot, and finds that all he can really do is bully some union and management officials into settling a potential strike action. On a less life-changing level, he's also incapable of getting the Indonesian President, a rather curt and unfriendly man, to contribute anything more than single-word responses to any attempt at conversation.

* {{Pride}}: Toby's self-righteousness borders on hubris in this episode. He is witheringly dismissive of Sam's attempt including more diplomatic language in the toast to the Indonesian President, and insists on making the language uncompromising in its condemnation of past Indonesian human rights abuses. Even when approaching the Indonesian aide to get help to release Toby's friend his attitude is blunt and commanding, as if he expects the official to meekly leap into action simply because he, Toby Ziegler, is standing before him demanding that it be so. Toby's subsequently left reeling when the Indonesian aide bluntly tells him to go to hell, reveals that he knows full well Toby was the one responsible for the insulting speech, points out that America's own history of human rights abuses means it doesn't have as much high ground on the issue as it likes to pretend, and storms off. Sam's alternative speech was presumably looking a lot better at that point.

** Mandy acts like this when she realize the standoff in Idaho has resulted in the death of the negotiator she insisted they send.

** Another subtle example occurs during Toby's meeting with the Indonesian official when trying to get his friend out of jail. In general, Toby is frequently shown to be blunt, borderline undiplomatic and even arrogant when meeting with political opponents when he's convinced he's in the right and victory is in his grasp. Throughout the episode, he's forthright and insistent in his opposition to the Indonesian regime, to the point of dismissiveness when Sam suggests more tactful language in the speech. And while not exactly rude to the Indonesian official he and Josh meet, he is blunt, forceful and unapologetic when the official points out that his friend broke Indonesian law (though to be completely fair to Toby on this one, the law broken was organising anti-government protests) when making his demands, acting like a man in control who expects to get his own way. So notice how, when the official reveals that he knows full well that Toby wrote the insulting speech about his president, Toby almost instantly switches from his previously authoritative and borderline arrogant attitude ("What we're talking about is you unlock the cell, you put him in a car, and you drive him to the border.") to offering a weak smile and a sudden, feeble attempt at diplomacy ("Please understand that with so many people watching, with so much media coverage, it was important for us to make clear that the United States, with its commitment to human rights, has an obligation..."). He clearly realises in that exact moment just how massively he's screwed up.
* {{Pride}}: Toby's self-righteousness borders on hubris in this episode. He is witheringly dismissive of Sam's attempt at a more diplomatic attempt at addressing Indonesian human rights abuses, and insists on making the language uncompromising in its condemnation. Even when approaching the Indonesian aide to get help to release Toby's friend his attitude is, while not exactly rude, very unapologetic and demanding, as if he expects the official to meekly leap into action simply because he, Toby Ziegler, is standing before him demanding that it be so. Toby's subsequently left reeling when the Indonesian aide bluntly tells him to go to hell, reveals that he knows full well Toby was the one responsible for the insulting speech, points out that America's own history of human rights abuses means it doesn't have as much high ground on the issue as it likes to pretend, and storms off. Sam's alternative speech was presumably looking a lot better at that point.

* {{Jerkass}}: The Indonesian President is a very cold, terse and arrogant-seeming man who barely responds to Bartlet's polite attempts at conversation.
-->'''Bartlet:''' I can't decide whether that man is boring or rude but he's one or the other.

** Another subtle example occurs during Toby's meeting with the Indonesian official when trying to get his friend out of jail. In general, Toby is frequently shown to be blunt, borderline undiplomatic and even arrogant when meeting with political opponents when he's convinced he's in the right and victory is in his grasp. Throughout the episode, he's forthright and insistent in his opposition to the Indonesian regime, to the point of dismissiveness when Sam suggests more tactful language in the speech. And while not exactly rude to the Indonesian official he and Josh meet, he is blunt, forceful and unapologetic when the official points out that his friend broke Indonesian law (though to be completely fair to Toby on this one, the law broken was organising anti-government protests) when making his demands, acting like a man in control who expects to get his own way. So notice how, when the official reveals that he knows full well that Toby wrote the insulting speech about his president, Toby almost instantly switches from his previously authoritative and borderline arrogant attitude ("What we're talking about is you unlock the cell, you put him in a car, and you drive him to the border.") to offering a weak smile and a sudden, feeble attempt at diplomacy ("Please understand that with so many people watching, with so much media coverage, it was important for us to make clear that the United States, with it's commitment to human rights, has an obligation..."). He clearly realises in that exact moment just how massively he's screwed up.

** Another subtle example occurs during Toby's meeting with the Indonesian official when trying to get his friend out of jail. In general, Toby is frequently shown to be blunt, borderline undiplomatic and even arrogant when meeting with political opponents when he's convinced he's in the right and victory is in his grasp. Throughout the episode, he's forthright and insistent in his opposition to the Indonesian regime, to the point of dismissiveness when Sam suggests more tactful language in the speech. And while not exactly rude to the Indonesian official he and Josh meet, he is blunt, forceful and unapologetic when the official points out that his friend broke Indonesian law (though to be completely fair to Toby on this one, the law broken was organising anti-government protests) when making his demands, acting like a man in control who expects to get his own way. So notice how, when the official reveals that he knows full well that Toby wrote the insulting speech about his president, Toby almost instantly switches from his previously authoritative attitude ("What we're talking about is you unlock the cell, you put him in a car, and you drive him to the border.") to offering a weak smile and a sudden attempt at diplomacy ("Please understand that with so many people watching, with so much media coverage, it was important for us to make clear that the United States, with it's commitment to human rights, has an obligation..."). He clearly realises in that exact moment just how massively he's screwed up.
* {{Pride}}: Toby's self-righteousness borders on hubris in this episode. He is witheringly dismissive of Sam's attempt at a more diplomatic attempt at addressing Indonesian human rights abuses, insists on making the language uncompromising in its condemnation, and even when approaching the Indonesian aide to get help to release Toby's friend, his attitude is, while not exactly rude, nevertheless rather unapologetic and demanding, as if he expects the official to meekly leap into action simply because he, Toby Ziegler, is standing before him demanding that it be so. Toby's subsequently left reeling when the Indonesian aide bluntly tells him to go to hell, reveals that he knows full well Toby was the one responsible for the insulting speech, points out that America's own history of human rights abuses means it doesn't have as much high ground on the issue as it likes to pretend, and storms off. Sam's alternative speech was presumably looking a lot better at that point.

-->'''Abbey:''' You know, one of the things that happens when I stay away too long, is that you forget that you don’t have to power to fix everything. You have a big brain. And a good heart. And an ego the size of Montana. You do, Jed. You don’t have the power to fix everything. But I do like watching you try.

** About the only things that go well are C.J gets to flirt with Danny a bit and Bartlet scares the hell out of the feuding trucking industry management and union representatives (although [[NoEnding we never find definitely out]] whether they managed to avoid the strike or not).

* SlaveToPR: As C.J. wryly summarizes, while the White House has to handle a hurricane, negotiate an impending trucker strike that could cripple the country, oversee an FBI raid on an armed militia group, ''and'' host a state dinner for the President of Indonesia, the most important question she'll be asked by the press throughout the day is [[SkewedPriorities what the First Lady will be wearing]].

* CompletelyUnnecessaryTranslator: Donna sets up ''two'' translators who can translate from Batak to Portugeuse to English so Josh and Toby cand speak to Bambang. After taking several minutes to exchange pleasantries Bambang reveals he speaks perfect English.

** Another subtle example occurs during Toby's meeting with the Indonesian official when trying to get his friend out of jail. He's been forthright and insistent in his opposition to the Indonesian regime throughout the episode, even during the meeting he is blunt, forceful, unapologetic about his friend's crimes (by Indonesian standards, at least, since his friend was locked up for organising anti-government protests) and even arrogant when making his demands, and other episodes in general frequently note and demonstrate that Toby tends to be far from tactful when he's facing off with people opposing him when he's certain he's in the right. So notice how, when the official reveals that he knows full well that Toby wrote the insulting speech about his president, he almost instantly switches from commanding ("What we're talking about is you unlock the cell, you put him in a car, and drive him to the border.") to offering a weak smile and a sudden attempt at diplomacy ("Please understand that with so many people watching, with so much media coverage, it was important for us to make clear that the United States, with it's commitment to human rights, has an obligation..."). He clearly realises just how massively he's screwed up.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: A subtle example. When President Bartlet enters the room where the negotiations between the truckers union and management are taking place, everyone rises as is expected. When they move to sit down to continue the negotiations, Bartlet orders them to explain their positions while remaining standing. Normally, one of the first things Bartlet ever says whenever he enters a room and everyone stands is "Keep your seats." It's a clue of how extra-frustrated he is by the events of the episode.
* {{Pride}}: Toby's self-righteousness borders on hubris in this episode. He is witheringly dismissive of Sam's attempt at a more diplomatic attempt at addressing Indonesian human rights abuses, insists on making the language uncompromising in its condemnation, and even when approaching the Indonesian aide to get help to release Toby's friend, his attitude is borderline confrontational and demanding, as if he expects the official to meekly leap into action simply because he, Toby Ziegler, is standing before him demanding that it be so. Toby's subsequently left reeling when the Indonesian aide bluntly tells him to go to hell, reveals that he knows full well Toby was the one responsible for the insulting speech, points out that America's own history of human rights abuses means it doesn't have as much high ground on the issue as it likes to pretend, and storms off. Sam's alternative speech was presumably looking a lot better at that point.

* {{Pride}}: Toby's self-righteousness borders on hubris in this episode. He is witheringly dismissive of Sam's attempt at a more diplomatic attempt at addressing Indonesian human rights abuses, insists on making the language uncompromising in its condemnation, and even when approaching the Indonesian aide to get help to release Toby's friend, his attitude is borderline confrontational and demanding. Toby's subsequently left reeling when the Indonesian aide bluntly tells him to go to hell, reveals that he knows full well Toby was the one responsible for the insulting speech, points out that America's own history of human rights abuses means it doesn't have as much high ground on the issue as it likes to pretend, and storms off. Sam's alternative speech was presumably looking a lot better at that point.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Maybe if Toby had taken Sam's advice and used the milder speech instead, the Indonesian official might have let Toby's friend out of jail.